


The Name Game

by orphan_account



Category: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 17:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2159574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy really didn't want to go back to the laundromat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Name Game

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my imagining of the first person after Penny to ask Billy's real name. Shit goes down.

He hadn’t wanted to come here at all, but his washing machine was broken and Tie Die was out of town and his laundry was really starting to pile up in the apartment. So Dr. Horrible reluctantly put his laundry basket in his car and drove to the Laundromat where everything had started.

He had made sure to dress in normal clothes. Wouldn’t do to upset the sheeple, would it?

He started putting the clothes in the machine he’d always used, and almost on instinct, glanced over to where Penny had always stood.

To his shock, there was a girl using her machine. He almost went over to tell her off, but caught himself. Can’t cause a scene, he chanted in his head. Just do your laundry and get out. So he contented himself with glancing her way occasionally, humming along to the music over the loudspeakers.

The third or fourth time it happened, he accidentally made eye contact. Dr. Horrible looked away quickly, muttering under his breath.

“Hi,” she said. His eye twitched. She walked over and vaulted herself onto his washing machine, fearless and completely in his space. Did she have no idea who he was? Well, no. That was kind of the point.

The girl carded a hand through shoulder length blond hair. “I’m Chloe.”

“Solamente hablo espanol,” he mumbled.

Chloe sighed. “You were singing along to one of the songs on the radio. In English.” He didn’t answer. “Look, I’m just going to keep harassing you until you answer me.” He nearly laughed. Who was she that she thought she could bully him?

She crowed. “Would you look at that? I got a smile.” Billy quickly schooled his rebellious mouth into a stern line. “Can I get a name?” she asked. He shook his head, and she shrugged philosophically. “Didn’t think I would. Chloe hopped off his washing machine and went back to her own. “Nice to meet you.”

***  
A week later and he was back because his washer was still not fixed and Tie Die was busy. Not because of Chloe. Definitely not. Chloe was standing at her-Penny’s, he forced himself to think of it as Penny’s- spot. His heart wrenched and his face twisted involuntarily.

She looked up and grinned at him. “Hey, my nameless friend. How are you?” Billy shrugged and started unloading his shirts. Chloe walked over, her eyes zeroed in on a small yellow Post It on the lid of his machine that he was almost certain hadn’t been there last time. It read- This machine is the unofficial property of Dr. Horrible. Do not use.

Chloe’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Aren’t you nervous that you’ll annoy this Horrible guy?”

“Somehow I don’t think I’ll have a problem,” he muttered. Billy paused. “Balls,” he sighed, “I didn’t mean to say that.”

She seemed unfazed. “Who is this Dr. Horrible anyway?”

“He’s part of the Evil League of Evil, like the city super villain, and geez can I not keep my mouth shut today.” Billy clamped his teeth shut, resolving not to say anything else.

“And why would he lay claim to this particular station?” she asked, clearly skeptical. Billy shrugged, and she sighed. “Come on. You just said like three sentences not one minute ago.”

“I have no idea. Damn.” He moved to open the lid of his machine, but her foot flew up and stepped on it.

“Now what I would really like to know,” Chloe began, “is why such a seemingly timid guy as you would willingly stand there.” He shrugged for what, the fifth time? She pointed at him. “See, there it is again! You seem terrified of everything and anything, including innocent blond laundresses, and yet you’re completely down with using a machine owned by possibly the most terrifying person in the city. You are a study in contradictions, my friend.” Chloe turned away, arms folded, and started walking away.

“Billy,” he blurted for no apparent reason except she was walking away and he really shouldn’t crave her company as much as this. So he panicked. She turned around, eyeing him suspiciously.

“What?”

He looked down at his feet. “Billy. My name…is Billy.” And he held out his hand for a handshake. After a moment of internal debate, Chloe accepted it and shoot his hand.

“Man, that took a lot of teeth pulling. Nice name, Billy.”  
***  
Next Wednesday, and he had returned. It was getting really difficult to find a decent repairman in this city. Something would have to be done about that. So in the meantime, he was stuck going to the Laundromat.

“You know,” Tie Die offered, leaning on the hood of his sedan, “that isn’t the only Laundromat in the city. You could easily go somewhere else. Or just blow it up.”

“What? No. I’m not just going to blow up a building just because. That’s not societal change, that’s terrorism.”

She looked doubtful. “If you say so. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.” Tie Die changed the subject abruptly before he could reply. “Hey, are we still doing that gig tomorrow? The mayor’s press conference downtown. Because I might have to go help out a cousin of mine. It’s his first big thing, and he kind of asked for me personally.”

Billy waved a hand. “It’s fine. I can handle it by myself.”

Tie Die grinned at him. “Thanks. I’m sure you’ve got it covered.” She glanced at her watch. “Crap, I’ve got to go if I want to catch my flight. If you hear any big news from Detroit, think of me.” She waved cheekily and got into her car, starting the ignition and driving away.

Billy slammed the car door shut behind him.  
***  
“So what do you do anyway?” Chloe asked, popping a saltwater taffy into her mouth.

His mind raced. What to say, what to say? “I’m a…consultant,” he stuttered. “What about you?”

She grimaced. “I’m a junior journalist for the Times. Worst job ever. I do all the heavy lifting and get none of the credit.”

“I know the feeling,” Billy said distractedly. How had he let things get this far? General teasing was all well and good, but now jobs? He might as well be advertising it to the world, shouting, “Hey, look at me! I’m a villain!” Billy really needed to prepare for the job tomorrow. That’s what he told himself as he cut her off in the middle of a sentence. 

“Look, this has been fun, but I really have to go…give my cat…to my neighbors,” Billy babbled. “Yeah. That’s it. The cat has just been so nasty, and my neighbors said they’d take him, so I really need to go and do that.” He started backing towards the door.

Chloe stood, frowning. “What about your clothes?”

He flipped the lid open. “I don’t love these.” Then Billy practically ran out, leaving Chloe staring at his retreating back confusedly.

“That was kind of weird,” she muttered, then shrugged.  
***  
Dr. Horrible scanned over his gear one more time before he went in. The Death Ray was strapped to his arm, after some extreme modifications. He’d tested it on a couple of spiders yesterday afternoon. His red lab coat was on securely. His goggles were on, and his boots gleamed in the light. He’d polished them as well.

Confident in his appearance, he shoved the door open and strode into the room. The mayor was in the middle of a speech welcoming one Dr. Arnim Zola into Los Angeles and giving him a key to the city. He scoffed. Dr. Zola was a war criminal in several countries. What on earth was the mayor doing?

He went unnoticed past the first few rows, until a young journalist gasped and pointed at him. “It’s Dr. Horrible!” he shouted. Dr. Horrible rolled his eyes and started shooting at the ceiling to the accompaniment of high pitched screams. When all in the room had cowered sufficiently to suit his pride, he aimed the ray at Dr. Zola, who was sitting up straight, seeming unimpressed. Dr. Horrible pulled the trigger, sending a red ray at the center of Zola’s chest. The man slumped forward in his seat. 

He was exiting when he caught sight of a familiar blond person standing in the center of the aisle, fists clenched, staring him down venomously. Shit. Chloe was here. Why was she here? 

Dr. Horrible stormed down the aisle, grabbing hold of her elbow and pulling her along with him. He didn’t stop until they were well away from City Hall, Chloe cursing at him all the way. He turned into an alley and threw her arm down. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small black spray can, then started spraying it in his direction.

He flung both hands up to his face, protecting his mouth and nose. The spray ran out, and she threw the can down in frustration, letting out a little scream of anger.

“Why the hell were you at that press conference?” he demanded.

“It’s my job,” she shot back. “Some of us actually have to work, instead of just running around terrorizing people. Not that it’s any of your business. I don’t even know you!”

“And why did you try to spray Mace at me?”

“You dragged me out of a building and into an alley. What was I supposed to think?” Chloe took a couple of steps closer. “Who are you really?”

“None of your business,” 

“You dragged me out of my job, I think I have a right to know.”

He ripped the goggles off disgustedly, and got right up in her space, his face twisted in anger. “Like I said, it’s not any of your business,” he hissed.

Chloe’s eyes widened. “Billy?”

Billy turned and threw the goggles to the ground, savoring the crunching sound of the lenses breaking. “Yeah. Surprised?”

“Yep. You got me. Now do you mind explaining why you killed that poor innocent old man? Or do you just get off on that?”

“You have no idea the kind of things that poor innocent old man did.”

Chloe raised her hands. “Don’t start getting all high and mighty on me, Billy. You kill people. You’re the bad guy here.”

“I’ve always considered myself more of a law-ignoring vigilante. I’m just trying to change the world here. I don’t have to time for a legal battle over every genuinely bad person I get rid of.”

“Oh, it moralizes too. That’s great. That’s really great. The one time I think I meet a genuinely nice guy, he turns out to be a psychopath.”

“I’m not a psychopath!” Billy protested. “There’s a difference.”

Chloe placed her hands on her hips. “Why did you even care that I was at the press conference anyway? Wouldn’t you just have killed me?”

“You’d think, wouldn’t you? It’s only that the last time this happened, someone I cared about got killed. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve got enough humanity left that I didn’t want it to happen again!” Billy shouted.

Chloe froze. “You…care,” she said slowly. “You actually care.” Her hands went back to her sides and her expression softened just slightly.

He threw his hands up. “And you see what it gets me? Pain. I only ever get pain. Well, that’s it. I’m through with this…whatever it is.” And he stormed off down the alley, Chloe staring after him.

Dr. Horrible shoved his hands into his pockets as he went, trying to resist the urge to go back and apologize. It was better this way. No one would get hurt, and no one would die. It was for the betterment of humanity that he remained apart from others. It would be unbelievably lonely, but he forced himself to believe that it would be worth it. 

And it hurt.

Oh, but it hurt.


End file.
